Sealable carton for frozen foods



Aug. 12, 1947. w, RlNGLE'R 2,425,642

SEALABLE CARTON FOR FROZEN FOODS Filed May 20, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 12, 1947. w. A. RINGLER 2,425,642

SEALABLE CARTON FOR FROZEN FOODS Filed Kay 20, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Wvuum H-RINGLER,

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W. A. RINGLER SEALABLE CARTON FOR'FROZEN FOODS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 20, 1944 WLLIHM. H. RINGLER,

FusJS Patented Aug. 12, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEALABLE CARTON FOR FROZEN FOODS William A. Ringler, Wayne, Pa., assignor to The Gardner-Richardson Company, Middletown, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 20, 1944, Serial No. 536,567

7 Claims. 1

My invention relates to boxes for frozen foods which may be used for various commercial purposes, .but which are of particular utility for household use in preserving foods in deep-freeze lockers.

Principal objects of my invention include the provision of a box structure which will be cheap, strong, capable of being shipped to the user in flat or knocked-down condition, capable of being readily set up, filled and closed, and capable of being sealed by the user. In connection with the sealing, it is an object of my invention to provide a structure which not only may be sealed easily and with complete assurance that an hermetic seal will be made, but also without the use of special tools or equipment and by a procedure with which the housewife will find herself completely familiar.

These and other objects of my invention, which will be set forth hereinafter or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading these specifications, I accomplish by that structure and arrangement of parts of which I shall now describe certain exemplary embodiments. Reference is made to the drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank for one form v of my body structure.

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof in partially folded condition.

Figure 3 is a plan view thereof in completely tubed condition.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the tubed structure in erected form.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a blank for forming end closures in the structure of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the closure element with the flaps bent up for insertion.

Figure"? is a partial perspective view showing the end closure in place.

Figure 8 is a partial perspective view of the sealed'structure.

Figure 9 is a partial sectional view taken alongv Figure 15 is a partial sectional view of the sealed box.

Briefly, in the practice of my invention, I provide a body structure comprising inner and outer tubed sleeves conforming closely to each other. The inner sleeve is preferably shorter in length than the outer sleeve, and preferably also it carries intumable flaps at the ends of its body walls. In connection with this structure, I provide closure elements. These may either be discrete elements, or-they may be an integral part of the inner sleeve, as hereinafter explained. In any event, the closure elements will have on all free edges tuck flaps insertable between the walls of the inner and outer sleeves, thus forming closures for the structure. Where the inner sleeve is of less length than the outer sleeve, these closures lie inwardly of the end edges of the walls of the outer sleeve, leaving recesses, into whicha sealing substance is poured. If the inner and outer elements are co-terminous, the box may. be sealed by dipping. The box walls, or at least the closures and the inner sleeve member, are preferably made of proofed board, for example, board dipped or otherwise treated with paraffin or some other proofing substance. substance and the treatment by which it is applied form no limitation upon this invention and will not hereinafter be further described. The

sealing substance maybe paraflin or it may be some other thermoplastic substance capable, however, of forming a strong bond with the proofing substance on the board walls. For household use, paraflin is a readily available, sanitary, and familiar substance, and will normally be employed by the housewife in connection with my packages which, in this instance, are preferably made of parafllned board.

Referring to Figurel, I have shown a blank i of elongated conformation and combining both the inner and outer sleeve members. This blank is cut and scored to provide a first glue flap 2 and the enclosing walls 3, 4, 5 and 6 of an outer sleeve.

I also provide in articulation the walls 1, 8, l0 and ll of an inner sleeve member, together with a second glue flap I 2. To this end, the blank is provided with a series of parallel transverse scores The nature of the proofing,

H to 2| are appropriately spaced from each other to demark corresponding enclosing walls of the inner sleeve, but it will be noted that the width of any of these walls is slightly less than the :width of the corresponding wall of the outer sleeve by an amount suflicient totake care of the thickness of the board, so that in the erected structure, the tubed inner sleeve will lie within.

the tubed outer sleeve with the walls of the sleeves in close conformation.

Moreover, the length of the walls 3 to 6 of the outer sleeve is preferably greater than the length of the walls I to l I of the inner sleeve, as shown in the several figures, the length of thewalls of the inner sleeve being the distance between score thus very economical. The box structures may be closed on one end and sealed and then reversed for filling, after which they will be closed on the opposite end and sealed in a similar fashion. The cross-sectional view shown in Figure 9 is illustrative of the relationship of the parts and the 1 nature of the seal.

lines 22 and 23. To the ends of the walls I to II of the inner sleeve, I articulate (by means of these score lines) inturnable fiaps 24, 25, 26 and i 21, which are beveled at their ends so as to permit them to be folded inwardly in the erected structure to lie normal to the walls 1 to II The first operation in forming a box structure from the blank of Figure 1 is a folding of the blank along the score line H, as shown in Figure 2. This brings the gluefiaps I2 and 2 into juxtaposition. Where the blank is made from paraffined board or is paraliiined after formation, known precautions will be taken to keep the parafiin away from the inner surface of flap 2, the outer surface of glue flap l2, and a portion of the outer surface of wall 6. Or, if the paraffinhas already been applied to these areas, known preicautions will be taken to remove it in order to shown in Figure 3. A score line 28 may be formed intermediate the width of glue flap 2 in such a ,position that in the final tubed structure, it will lie just off the edge of glue flap i2.. This will assist in forming a tight'seam.

Thetubed structure may be erected as in Figure 4 and. the flaps 24 to 2'! turned inwardly, as shown.

In this style of package, separate end closures are provided, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. These comprise a body panel 29 bounded by score lines 30, 3|, 32 and 33, by means of which tuck flaps 34, 35, 36 and 3'! are articulated to the body panel. Score lines 38, 39, 40 and 4| may be formed intermediate the width of these tuck flaps, if desired, to facilitate tucking and to thicken somewhat the board of the flaps so as to increase the bindin action when these flaps are inserted between the corresponding walls of the inner and outer sleeve members. Before such insertion, the flaps are turned up, as shown in Figure 6; and when the end element is inserted, as shown in Figure '7, it will be noted that in my preferred structure, it lies slightly inwardly of the termini of the walls of the outer sleeve, giving a recessed structure. Having set up the package, as shown in Figure 7, the housewife can now effect a seal by pouring a sealing substance 42 into this recess. No tools are required for this purpose other than a vessel in which to melt the thermoplastic sealing substance. Comparatively little of the sealing substance need be used, and the process is A modified form of my structure is shown in Figures 10 to 15. In Figure 10 I have illustrated a blank for an inner sleeve having integral end closure elements. In this structure body walls 43, 44, 45 and 46 are demarked from each other and from a glue flap 41 by scores 48, 49, 50 and 5|. The ends of the walls are demarked by score lines 52 and 53 and three of the walls on either side have articulated to them tuck flaps 54, 55 and 51, or 54, 55 and 51, as shown. To the remaining ends of the walls, -I articulate the closures, consisting of body panels 58 or 59 and.

61, 68, 69 and 10. Again, the width of the corresponding walls in the inner andouter sleeves is so proportioned that the inner sleeve may-be placed within the outer sleeve when both are tubed, and with the respective walls in close conformation. Preferably again, also, the length" x of the body walls of the outer sleeve is greater than the.length of the body walls of the inner sleeve. I

The tubed structures formed from the blanks of Figures 10 and 11' are shown respectively in- Figures 12 and '13. Upon'the erection of these structures, the inner sleeve element is placed within the outer sleeve element and centered.

The flaps 54 to 51 inclusive are bent over inwardly, as shown in Figure 14, where one of the end closure elements is shown open. It may beclosed by hinging on its score line 53, the flaps 60 being bent up, as shown, and being tucked between the walls of the inner and outer sleeves as the closure is swung into position- This structure may be sealed as described, and its sealed condi-' tion is illustrated in cross-section in Figure 15.

Both the inner and the outer sleeves may be made of parafiined board; but in structures, such as those illustrated in Figures 10 to 15 inclusive,

where the inner sleeve is separate from the outer sleeve, they may be made of different boards as to quality, appearance, material or caliper, as desired. The inner sleeve may be paraflined or otherwise proofed, while the outer sleeve may be of unproofed character. When the initial closure is effected, the tuck flaps on the closure element satisfactorily bind between the walls to hold the closure element in position. But sometimes, if the tuck flaps on the inner sleeve member, such as the flaps 24 to 21 or 54 to 51 are carelessly or insufiiciently bent over, they may exert a resilient pressure tending to move the closure element outwardly, this action occurring when both the inner and outer sleeve members are paramned and when the heat sealing parafiin is applied and lubricates the board surfaces. action, and also to assist in centering a separate inner sleeve member in an outer sleeve member, I may provide the outer sleeve blank, as in Figure 11, with score lines If-and I2 spaced inwardly from the ends of the body walls, and spaced from each other a distance substantially equivalent to the length of the walls of the inner sleeve. Then, after closure has been effected, the and edges of the body walls of the outer sleeve may be To present this bent slightly inwardly along these score lines. This not only prevents the end closure element from being forced outwardly during the sealing operation, but also rigidifies and stifiens the body walls of the outer sleeve.

Modifications may be made in my invention without departing-from the spirit thereof. Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a scalable knocked down box, a tubed sleeve of coated boxboard having articulated enclosing body walls, end closure elements for said sleeve having wall portions to extend across the tubular sleeve and lateral flaps, and an inner sleeve in telescoping relationship with said first mentioned tubed sleeve, said lateral flaps on said closure elements being insertable between the walls of said first mentioned sleeve and said inner sleeve, said inner sleeve having at its ends articulated flaps foldable to a position substantially at right angles to the walls of said inner sleeve, whereby said closure elements are supported and maintained in a position with said wall portions extending across end portions of said first mentioned sleeve so as to close said sleeve but with said wall portions spaced inwardly from the actual ends of said first mentioned sleeve to leave a recess into which a liquid sealing substance capable of bonding with the coating on said body walls may be introduced to form a seal between said closure elements and said first mentioned sleeve, and bridging across between the body walls of said first mentioned sleeve.

2. The structure claimed in claim 1, in which said first mentioned sleeve and said inner sleeve are integral parts of the same blank.

.3. The structure claimed in claim 1, in which said first mentioned sleeve and said inner sleeve are discrete parts, said closure elements being integral parts of said inner sleeve.

4. The structure claimed in claim 1, in which said first mentioned sleeve has adjacent its ends score lines substantially coinciding with the recessed positions of said closure elements, so that the ends of the walls of said first mentioned sleeve may be bent slightly inwardly to stiffen these walls and assist in fixing the position of said closure elements.

5. In a sealable knocked down box, a tubed sleeve of coated boxboard having articulated, en-

closing body Walls, end closure elements for said.

sleeve having wall portions to extend across the tubular sleeve and lateral flaps, and an inner sleeve in telescoped relationship with said first mentioned tubed sleeve for supporting and maintaining said closure elements in a position with said wall portions extending across end portions of said sleeve and with said flaps inwardly turned and entering between said sleeves, so as to close said first mentioned sleeve, said inner sleeve being shorter than said first mentioned tubed sleeve whereby said wall portions are spaced inwardly from the actual ends of said sleeve to leave a recess into which a liquid sealing substance may be introduced to form a seal between said closure elements and said sleeve, and bridging across between the body walls of said sleeve.

6. A sealed package of polygonal cross section comprising an outer tubular sleeve, a shorter inner tubular sleeve in telescopic relation therewith with its ends spaced inwardly from the ends of the outer sleeve, end closure elements, each comprising walls extending across and in contact with the ends of said inner tubular sleeve and extending between the walls of said outer sleeve and corresponding walls of said inner sleeve, and a seal consisting of applied thermoplastic substance bridging across and joining all juxtaposed outer adjacent surfaces of said outer sleeve and said end closure elements.

7. A sealed package of polygonal cross section comprising an outer tubular sleeve, ashorter inner tubular sleeve in telescopic relation therewith with its ends spaced inwardly from the ends of the outer sleeve, said inner tubular sleeve having flaps at its ends extending inwardly substantially at right angles to the walls of said sleeve, end closure elements, each comprising walls extending across the ends of said inner tubular sleeve in contact with said flaps, said walls having a plurality of flaps located within said outer sleeve and a seal consisting of applied thermoplastic substance bridging across and joining all juxtaposed outer adjacent surfaces of said outer sleeve and said end closure elements.

WILLIAM A. RINGLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

